Abstract
The prevalence of Toxoplasma gondii in free-ranging chickens can be considered a good indicator of the prevalence of T. gondii oocysts in the environment because chickens feed from the ground. In the present study, prevalence of T. gondii in 29 free-range chickens (Gallus domesticus) from Argentina was investigated. Blood, heart, and brain from each chicken were examined for T. gondii infection. Antibodies to T. gondii, assayed with the modified agglutination test (MAT), were found in 19 of 29 (65.5%) chickens. Hearts and brains of seropositive (MAT > or = 1:5) chickens were bioassayed in mice. Toxoplasma gondii was isolated from 9 of 19 seropositive chickens. Genotyping of chicken isolates of T. gondii using the SAG2 locus indicated that 1 was type I, 1 was type II, and 7 were type III. This is the first report of isolation of T. gondii from chickens from Argentina.
Sign-in/Register to access full text options 
Free) 
Talk to us
Join us for a 30 min session where you can share your feedback and ask us any queries you have
Schedule a call
